Despite A Ban, Facebook Continued To Label People As Interested In Militias For Advertisers
Months after banning militias from its platform, Facebook continued to categorize people as being interested in them.
Ryan Mac
Banning Social Media In The Wake Of The Sri Lanka Attacks Doesn’t Make Much Sense
Some commentators have praised the Sri Lankan government's decision to temporarily shut down social media — but people in the country say Facebook is being centered in a discussion of violence with far more complex causes.
Megha Rajagopalan
Hundreds Of Far-Right Militias Are Still Organizing, Recruiting, And Promoting Violence On Facebook
A new report identified more than 200 militia pages and groups on Facebook as of March 18, more than two months after the insurrection at the Capitol.
Christopher Miller
Facebook Is Building An Instagram For Kids Under The Age Of 13
“We have identified youth work as a priority for Instagram and have added it to our H1 priority list,” reads an internal Instagram post obtained by BuzzFeed News.
Ryan Mac
The New York Times Is Giving Up Its Cooking Community Facebook Group With Over 77,000 Members
The group has often devolved into drama, debate, and politics, and now the New York Times is looking for volunteer moderators to take over.
Lauren Strapagiel
Facebook Is Reading Your Brain Waves (Sort Of)
“I cannot emphasize this enough: This cannot read your brain,” Facebook exec Andrew Bosworth told BuzzFeed News.
Katie Notopoulos
Facebook Created An Employee “Playbook” To Respond To Accusations Of Polarization
In a Thursday presentation, Facebook executives told employees the company isn’t to blame for social division in the country. One researcher said some polarization can be a good thing, citing the civil rights movement.
Ryan Mac
Democrats And Republicans Alike Are Talking About Breaking Down Big Tech Monopolies
Politicians in Congress are talking about returning to the days of robust anti-monopoly enforcement.
Paul McLeod
NYT Columnist David Brooks Resigns From Nonprofit After More Evidence Of Conflicts Emerges
His resignation comes amid new revelations of entanglements with Nextdoor and the Walton Foundation.
Craig Silverman
Facebook Helped Fund David Brooks’s Second Job. Nobody Told The Readers Of The New York Times.
The New York Times columnist has been using his perch to promote the Weave Project — without disclosing his potential conflicts of interest to his readers.
Craig Silverman
New York Times Columnist David Brooks Blogged For Facebook's Corporate Site
Brooks also appeared in a Facebook-produced video panel used to promote an NYU study of Facebook Groups funded by the social media giant.
Craig Silverman
Facebook Is Considering Facial Recognition For Its Upcoming Smart Glasses
Facebook Vice President Andrew Bosworth told employees that the company is evaluating the legal and privacy issues around facial recognition for its upcoming wearable gadget.
Ryan Mac
"Mark Changed The Rules": How Facebook Went Easy On Alex Jones And Other Right-Wing Figures
Facebook’s rules to combat misinformation and hate speech are subject to the whims and political considerations of its CEO and his policy team leader.
Ryan Mac
A Search For “Dog” On Instagram Surfaces An Emoji For A Chinese Takeout Box
“How are the emoji’s being recommended in this and can we remove this so this doesn’t perpetuate Asian racial stereotypes?”
Ryan Mac
Google And Apple Have Caved To Pakistani Pressure To Take Down Apps Made By This Persecuted Religious Minority
The Pakistan Telecommunication Authority has used anti-blasphemy rules to target members of the Ahmadiyya community.
Megha Rajagopalan
After Fueling A Genocide, Facebook Is Taking A Stand Against A Myanmar Coup
In an internal post, the company outlined how it will try to protect people opposing Myanmar’s military coup.
Tasneem Nashrulla
Violent Protests Erupted In India. Then Calls For Police To Shoot The Protesters Went Viral On Twitter.
Twitter did not take “Shoot” off its trending topics for at least a couple of hours — after there was public outcry and after BuzzFeed News emailed asking for comment.
Pranav Dixit
These Brave Corporations Did What No Social Platforms Could Do, And I’m Weeping
Facebook and Twitter spent so long worrying about moderation, they forgot they could just pound the "ban" button.
Katie Notopoulos
In 2020, Disinformation Broke The US
Lies about science, civil rights, and the vote itself have turned Americans against one another.
Jane Lytvynenko
WhatsApp Fueled A Global Misinformation Crisis. Now, It’s Stuck In One.
A new privacy policy will be delayed three months after people were confused about what it would mean.
Pranav Dixit
Facebook Has Been Showing Military Gear Ads Next To Insurrection Posts
Earlier this week, Facebook employees warned that military product ads were being advertised against news about DC riots. The company did not act.
Ryan Mac
Inside The Fortress That Washington Has Become Ahead Of Biden’s Inauguration
“It’s a ghost town."
Christopher Miller
“If They Won’t Hear Us, They Will Fear Us”: How The Capitol Assault Was Planned On Facebook
Right-wing extremists used Facebook to call for the overthrow of the government and storm the US Capitol in the period leading up to the Jan. 6 insurrection, according to a new report.
David Mack
Facebook Said It Would Pause US Ads For Gun Accessories And Military Gear After Complaints
But on Sunday, BuzzFeed News continued to find ads for firearm accessories on the social network, more than 22 hours after Facebook announced its temporary suspension.
Ryan Mac
Following An Insurrection, Lawmakers And State Attorneys General Are Asking Facebook To Halt Ads Of Military Gear
“Whether through negligence or with full knowledge, Facebook is placing profit ahead of our Nation’s democracy.”
Ryan Mac
People Are Really Mad About Facebook's Changes To WhatsApp's Privacy Policies
And they are moving to Signal and Telegram as a result.
Pranav Dixit
A Bodybuilder, A Neo-Confederate, A Tattoo Artist: These Are The Trump Rioters Arrested For Storming The Capitol
Those arrested include a bodybuilder, a tattoo artist, a member of neo-Confederate and militant groups, an organizer of a Trump boat parade, and a man convicted of attempted first-degree murder.
Tasneem Nashrulla
A Newly Elected West Virginia Delegate Was Part Of The Pro-Trump Mob That Stormed The Capitol
“Patriots inside, baby!” Derrick Evans, a newly elected member of the state's House of Delegates, shouted as he livestreamed on Facebook.
Brianna Sacks
Facebook Forced Its Employees To Stop Discussing Trump's Coup Attempt
“What excuse did we use not to ban him this time?”
Ryan Mac
The Rioters Who Took Over The Capitol Have Been Planning Online In The Open For Weeks
The mob that forced Congress to flee organized on both obscure and mainstream sites.
Jane Lytvynenko
